The Visible Savior/Communion

March 5, 2000 The Visible Savior/Communion John 6

by Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

Have you seen the Lord? The ordinances of The Lord's Supper and Baptism are our visible monuments to our Lord and Savior. The Lord has commanded that we make no images or statues to worship, but he has given us a visible reminder of who He is.

Do you see Him? This is what he looks like.

The purpose of this message is to bring into focus the Lord for all that come to the table. Have you seen the Father? The Son has come to reveal him?

Scripture Text: John 6:43-57
Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

Self-examination is one test from which no Christian is excused

Look at Yourself! Sin wants to divide us from one another and from God, but Jesus came that we may be joined back together. Will you meet him at the table?

if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. --1 Corinthians 11:31

Let's ask God to reveal Himself to us today. No one can begin to see who the Lord is unless the Lord shows us who he is. No one can come unless the Lord draws him.

Lord we want to be a Christ centered Church with Christ centered people. Enable us to focus on Christ more than anything else in this world. Help us to see you today.

He is the Bread of Life: The Lord is the bread that comes down from heaven to reveal to us the Father. Bread is available to everyone. Bread is daily need to all

Bread is what the Lord chose for us to use to remember Him.

The Bread had to be broken before it could be consumed by the hungry. The body of our Lord was given by him to us. We took the body of the Lord and we broke it with a crown of thorns. We drove spikes through it. We nailed his body to a tree. We wiped it with a scourge that tore his flesh from his bones. Not a bone was broken but his flesh was torn. We pierced his side with a spear so that the blood and water gushed forth. His flesh was ripped from it's bones.

This loaf of Bread represents our Lord. Lift up the Loaf to heaven. We thank you O Lord who gives us this bread to sustain with life that never ends. We now break the Bread as your body was broken for us. Help us to see for reminder that you were broken for us. Rip the Loaf in half and lay it on the tray on the table…

I declare to you that this ripped loaf of Bread is the living bread that came down from heaven. This is Jesus ripped for you. Will you take him? Will you eat him? Not just to taste of him as Judas did. But, will you consume him so that he lives through you.

Distribute the element of the bread.

He took it. The Bread of Life came from God and it is that which continues to provide what we need to live.

He Blessed It . He thanked God for giving that bread. All that we have comes from God.

He Broke it. He allowed his body to be broken and bruised for our iniquities. (At this point the whole loaf of bread is to be broken.)

He Gave it. He gave himself that we may live if we believe that he has what we need to have the life that he lived.

I Cor. 11:23 That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

His Blood is the new covenant. . 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

When Jesus ate the last meal with his disciples he also took the cup in the same way that he had taken the bread and gave it to the discipes. As the groom sealed his promise to his bride to come back for her they drank the cup to seal the covenant. When he was in the garden praying before he was betrayed he asked the Father if it was his will to let this cup pass from him. But he resolved himself to do the will of the Father. He gave his blood as a sacrifice. Since the first sin God has demanded a sacrifice of an innocent be made for the payment of sin. Without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin. Heb. 9:22. Jesus became the Lamb who went before the slaughter without saying a word to his defense. His blood was flowed through the gaping wounds that had been made in his flesh.

The Fruit of the vine… Grapes represent his body that was beaten, crushed and bruised for you and me. Lift up the Grapes that the Lord has given.

Lord we thank you for the fruit of the vine. You have given the increase so that we now have these grapes to take for drink. We thank you for your blood that poured from your body for the forgiveness of our sins. Now, Crush the grapes so that the juice pours from you hands into the bowl in full sight of the congregation. Since these grapes have already been crushed into juice the preparation has been made for us to drink of the fruit of the vine that represents the forgiveness we receive from the Lord's shed blood.

Only those who take their sin seriously, can remember Christ's cross gratefully…

The Cup.

He took it. Jesus took our cup of pain and suffering so that we could receive his cup of blessing. Have you taken his forgiveness? If you would will you pass it on?

He Drank from it. Have you truly drank from that cup? (Crush the grapes)

He Gave it. He gave himself so that we could receive him thus giving to us the power to live like Him and with Him forever. Even though it seems that we die, we die to that which separates us from him and from others.

I Cor. 11:25 After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

The Cup of the New Promise.

Mark 14:25 (KJS) Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. 26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

Remember that He gave his life that we may live. Remember that he is coming again to receive us to be with him. Are you ready to meet him face to face?